Booker, Schiff Introduce Bill to Promote Sustainability and Protect Consumers Through Standardized Tracking and Accountability for Recycled Plastic Claims

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Adam Schiff (D-CA) introduced the Tracking Plastic Act, which would implement a standardized process for tracking recycled materials to address mislabeling and fraud by companies, reduce errors, and verify the origins of recycled plastic content, helping Americans better understand the environmental impact of the products they are buying. The legislation would crack down on misleading recycled plastic claims by establishing the first standardized federal system to track and verify recycled plastic content throughout the supply chain. It would protect consumers from deceptive environmental claims, hold companies accountable for the accuracy of their labeling, and strengthen confidence in America's recycling system.

Companies currently use inconsistent methods to measure and report recycled plastic content, making it difficult to verify claims and leaving consumers vulnerable to misleading or inaccurate labeling. The Tracking Plastic Act would create a transparent, science-based framework for tracing recycled plastic content, improving accountability, reducing fraud, and giving Americans confidence that products marketed as environmentally responsible are backed by credible data.

"Every time Americans pick up a product at the store, they should be able to trust what they see on the label and not have to wonder whether the products they buy are truly helping to reduce plastic waste," said Senator Booker. "This legislation will give consumers the honest information they need, strengthen our recycling systems, and ensure companies are accountable for helping address the plastic pollution crisis."

"Implementing a reliable process of tracking recycled materials will provide Americans with accurate information on plastics used in the products they're buying. Consumers deserve the truth when making choices among competing products. Our legislation will crack down on companies that mislead the public on their reporting of recycled plastic content," said Senator Schiff.

"Consumers deserve clear, accurate labeling to help them make informed choices about their purchases," said Senator Merkley. "Commonsense legislation like this one empowers consumers to understand just how much plastic they're buying, while ensuring manufacturers are accountable for the recycled content claims they make."

The Tracking Plastic Act would establish a federal working group on recycled plastic content traceability with representatives from the Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Trade Commission, the Department of Agriculture, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Department of State, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the National Laboratory of the Rockies, institutions of higher education, and the National Academy of Sciences.

The working group would:

• Develop recommendations to improve the measurement, traceability, and reporting of recycled plastic content across applicable sectors of the economy; and

• Develop recommendations to increase the use of post-consumer resin.

In addition to Booker and Schiff, the legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

The Tracking Plastic Act is endorsed by the Association of Plastic Recyclers, Recycling Partnership, World Wildlife Fund, Ocean Conservancy, and Monterey Bay Aquarium.

The full text of the legislation is available here.